Why do some Powerlifters sniff Ammonia Powder?

Whether or not you have heard of ammonia before, you are in contact with it on a daily basis. In fact, you have ammonia inside of you right now. Scientifically known as ammonium carbonate, ammonia is a colorless and smelly gas at room temperature. It is one of the most common industrial chemicals used today, and you can find it in everything from cleaning products to fertilizer.

Not only can you find it in many of your household products, but you can also find it inside of your own body! Your body produces ammonia by itself and uses it for a number of different bodily reactions, working as a precursor for amino acids. Additionally, ammonia exists naturally in the environment and is an integral part of almost every ecosystem on earth.

Powerlifters, heavy weightlifters, and even professional football players are well known for sniffing ammonia. The specific type of ammonia that they sniff is a powder version that we have come to call smelling salts.

The ammonia gas gets turned into a powder form and then gets put into capsules. Smelling salt capsules are widely available.  These days, you can find the exact same capsules that athletes use at your local drugstore.

First off, the ultimate reason why most athletes sniff smelling salts is to boost their athletic performance and maximize their abilities.  In the case of powerlifters, that means being able to lift the heaviest weights when it matters the most. 

For other athletes, like football players, it could mean making the ultimate tackle or running your absolute fastest. 

Second, powerlifters and athletes sniff smelling salts to help reduce body aches and pains.  Specifically, they use it to reduce muscle soreness.  Alleviating soreness indirectly enables them to lift heavier weights and improve their athletic performance even more. 

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